My family and I recently found a place in Kansas City that’s all about wide open spaces and a quiet stroll, and history mixed with nature: Shoal Creek Living History Museum.

Shoal Creek Living History Museum is in Kansas City, Missouri.

We visited this new-to-us place during a super fun weekend trip and it was a welcome change from the go-go-go adventures we’d had the day before at Worlds of Fun.

What’s Shoal Creek Living History Museum

Located on 80 acres within Hodge Park in Northern Kansas City, Shoal Creek Living History Museum is a FREE attractions takes families on a walk through Missouri’s past as told through architecture.

Farley loved taking pictures of the buildings at Shoal Creek. I may be raising a mini blogger.

Grab a brochure at the entrance to learn a bit more about the buildings on the grounds: There are 21 structures, 17 of which are authentic buildings dating from 1807-1885.

Some of the more interesting structures included the Blacksmith barn built in the 1800s and was originally on a farm next to Hodge Park; the 1868 City Hall and Jail; and the 1880 Eldorado School. There’s also a carpenter shop, doctor’s office, church and several homes that I imagine are interesting to visit during re-enactment events.

On a regular day, you won’t find any re-enactors at Shoal Creek Living History Museum. Plan to visit during a special event to see sites like the blacksmith barn come to life.

Just a handful of people were there when we visited.

Given the wide-open feel of it, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

What we liked about Shoal Creek

I loved the space it provided for the kids to run, but even more so, I liked how relaxing it was.

Shoal Creek Living History Museum is a photogenic place.

My favorite building was the Grist Mill. It’s the first thing that caught my eye and it just stood out from the rest of the buildings. It’s actually the lone structure there that was built on site and is a replica of an 1824 mill. Figures.

The kids?

They loved the American Bison herd kept on the land.

Bison at Shoal Creek Living History Museum in Kansas City.

While they did seem pretty peaceful, one reminded us that they are still wild animals.

It charged the fence. Even standing back a few feet from the fence didn’t feel like a good idea.

Thank goodness for zoom lenses. The one on the right was headed our way.

Perhaps a lesson learned here: Stand further back from the fence.

American Bison herd at Shoal Creek Living History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Special Events At Shoal Creek

On a given day, there isn’t programming in place, and you can only see the buildings from the outside.

Re-enactors are at special events throughout the year at Shoal Creek Living History Museum, helping bring history to life for visiting families.

But there are special events throughout the year where you may find re-enactors and perhaps enter some of the buildings.

2018 Events

* Always check ahead of your visit to make sure an event is still happening. Things can be rescheduled!

First Saturdays – June 2, July 7, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. FREE family fun event with re-enactors bring the village to life with skits and shootouts throughout the day, food and craft vendors, family activities and demonstrations, and shop at the mercantile. Some activities may charge for their services, cash only.

22nd Annual Visit From St. Nicholas – Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5 per person, FREE for ages 5 and younger. Homes will be decorated and e-enactors will bring 19th century Christmas to life. Take a brief horse drawn sleigh ride through the countryside from noon to 4 p.m.

Glenn Cunningham Lake

Standup paddleboards on the shore of Lake Cunningham in Omaha.

Where: Omaha

Distance from Omaha: In the city limits

Cost: Free to go to the park; $12/hour to rent a paddleboard or $40 for the day

What’s not to miss: Rent standup paddleboards from The Neighborhood Offshore Outfitters and have fun exploring the lake with your older children. Younger kids can stay with an adult and play at the small beach. Note the Cunningham Lake may be closed due to zebra mussels, so check before going.

Lake Manawa State Park

What’s not to miss: This is one of the closest lakes to Omaha that has a swimming area roped off from the rest of the lake, which is busy place in the summer with boats. You can rent a canoe or kayak there, as well. I steer my kids to Dreamland Park, though. It was pretty much designed by engineers who asked kids what they’d love to have in a park and then they built it. It looks like a giant splinter waiting to happen, but the kids survive and love it.

Hitchcock Nature Center

The tower at Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa.

Where: Honey Creek, Iowa

Distance from Omaha: 21 miles

Cost: $2 for a daily pass or you can buy a year pass for Pottawattamie County Parks

What’s not to miss: Check out a free backpack from the nature center. It provides kid-friendly supplies like a magnifying glass and animal ID chart to enhance your kids’ adventure in nature.

Mahoney State Park

One of the lakes at Mahoney State Park. It’s pretty even in the dead of winter.

Where: Ashland, Neb.

Distance from Omaha: 27 miles

Cost: A Nebraska State Park Permit is required to enter this park area (an annual permit is $31).

What’s not to miss: Horseback trail rides for 6 and older (pony rides for the youngins); train-loving kiddos will like the short hike near the lookout tower that gives them a decent view of passing trains.

It’s pretty easy to get stuck in a rut as parents. To recharge yourself, you need a break. Sometimes, it has to be a quick one.

Mr. Wonderful and I took a kid-free overnight trip to Sioux City, Iowa. It was a lot of food, drink, comedy and music. Sounds good, right?

Sioux City was picked because it was just far enough to feel like a getaway – about an hour and a half north of Omaha. Our stay was coordinated by the Sioux City Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The second reason I wanted to go there was the entertainment. I was looking for a good concert or show to catch within two hours of Omaha. And at the Hard Rock I found a goodie: Jon Lovitz! Yes!

So, we dropped the kids off with my brother and his family and off we went.

We arrived in Sioux City around lunch time, so I was determined to try one of the tavern sandwiches I’d read about.

Taverns are a loose meat sandwich, akin to the sloppy joe without the sloppy part (no tomato). We headed straight for Miles Inn, the bar recommended by several friends (and winner of the Sioux City Journal tavern showdown a few years ago).

Smiling at Miles Inn.

It was March Madness time so the place was packed and full of lively regulars. We got our cheap taverns ($3.25 each), and two schooners because…when in Rome.

The schooners of domestic beer were only $3.25 and by all appearances, the one only glass beer is served in. Bottoms up!

They’re on to something up in Sioux City. A tavern pairs well with cold beer in a schooner.

The taverns there had American cheese added and were quite peppery. I liked it, but it wasn’t a favorite of my husband’s.

We were still hungry, so we drove down the street to another recommended Sioux City original: Tastee Inn & Out.

An iconic sign in front of Tastee Inn & Out in Sioux City.

There, we ordered their famous tastee sandwich (a tavern, but without the cheese) and the onion fries and dip.

Onion fries in a cup.

Tastee is a drive-thru, so we pulled into the parking lot to eat and compare the two taverns.

(Miles Inn wins)

We headed to downtown Sioux City next. The plan was to walk around but it was a colder day than anticipated. So, we planned two stops: The Sioux City Public Museum and Jackson Street Brewing. The Sioux City Art Museum is super nearby and if we had another hour and a bit more sunshine, we would’ve walked down there too.

The Sioux City Public Museum is a free attraction and worth visiting with or without kids.

Plan to spend about an hour checking out exhibits at the Sioux City Public Museum, as well as 12 minutes watching the intro video.

They have a 12-minute movie that gives a good account of the city’s origin and features a neat immersive experience with lighting and projections around the room synced with the movie.

Afterward, you could spend about an hour walking around the colorful museum. There is a lot of interactive areas that kids will like.

A block from the museum is the new Jackson Brewing Company, which opened July 2015.

We picked out four beers to sample in a flight.

You choose the four beers to sample on a beer flight at Jackson Street Brewing Co.

Flights start at $8.50 and go up if you get high alcohol content beers. Of the four I tried, the maibock was my favorite.

We talked with the bartender and two locals while we were there and got the lowdown on breakfast spots for the next day. Super friendly people.

We checked into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, located within walking distance of the brewery and museums mentioned above.

The hotel has a music theme (obviously) that’s goal is to make you feel like a rock star. To that end, once you check in, you get a complimentary drink.

You get the choice of a beer or house cocktail at check-in at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City.

Yes please.

If you’re not ready to hit the ground running rock star-style, you can get a drink ticket for later.

We settled into our room – again, feeling all rock star with the décor and music playing in your room as you enter. The exposed brick in the rooms creates a great look when paired with modern touches and concert posters.

I kinda wished we were in the Prince room at the end of the hall. Check out that door. There’s always next time.

Then we headed downstairs for dinner, with a short stop at the casino. I’m not a gambler, so not a lot of time or money was spent there. If you’re the same, you can easily spend your hotel stay without entering the casino…unless you’re going to show there, then you’ll have to walk through the casino to get to Anthem, the concert venue.

The hall connecting the hotel to the casino and restaurants is lined with music memorabilia.

You have a couple dinner options at the hotel, but we wanted a date night experience and had made reservations at Main + Abbey. The restaurant is ranked No. 1 on Trip Adviser, and perusing the gastropub’s menu, it seemed like mine kind of place.

Rather than order entrees, the two of us split several appetizers and order drinks. Wondering what to order? The pierogies were so good, and the poitine while heavy, was very flavorful. And if you’re an Instagrammy kind of person, order the pretzel appetizer – you’ll want to take pictures of it for sure.

We had complimentary tickets to Jon Lovitz’s second show, and were invited to a meet & greet with him. It was the very definition of meet & greet – we met him, greeted him, posed for a picture and moved on.

Funny. The only photo I took with my husband on the trip includes Jon Lovitz.

The show was at Anthem within the casino part of the hotel. From the outside, it looks deceptively small, but this pace can fit more than 900 people. There’s a bar inside Anthem to grab drinks before the show starts.

Lovitz had an opener, and then he entertained the crowd. It was a fun night, and the best part was that we didn’t have to head to our car to get back to our hotel. It was great to leave the show, walk to the hotel part of the building and be back in the room in no time.

Breakfast the next day was up in the air until we had that chat at Jackson Street Brewing. They were quick to recommend the Hard Rock’s buffet, but we asked for where locals would go and they steered us to what they referred to as a great greasy spoon: Horizon Family Restaurant.

So Horizon is was for us. Outward appearances weren’t much, but with a packed parking lot, we figured it couldn’t be too bad.

Not much of an exterior, Horizon Restaurant is the greasy spoon you seek after a late night.

It’s a no-frills diner that was hopping on the Sunday we went. Offerings were pretty typical for diners, and the coffee was great.

To burn off the big breakfast, we headed to Stone State Park located within Sioux City’s city limits. Our timing wasn’t great since everything was leafless from winter, and being Sunday, the Dorothy Picaut Nature Center wasn’t open (it’s open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays).

A late winter/early spring hike near the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center at Stone State Park in Sioux City.

Still, we took a nice hike near the nature center and discovered a cool nature playscape. The kids would love this place!

Nature play structures at Stone State Park.

The park and nature center are FREE.

The short getaway over, we headed back to Omaha. Rather than take the quick route via Interstate 29, we drove along the Loess Hills Scenic Biway. If you have time, try it out, especially if you’re itching to take some pretty photos.

If time permits, always take the route with the dirt road.

We tried two of the scenic loops – Stagecoach Trail and Wilderness Trail.

It was picturesque in spite of the time of year. We resolved to drive it again when the scenery’s lusher – fall would be perfect.

Fall would be a great time to drive the Loess Hill Scenic Biway, but that’s not to say the vistas are bad in early spring.

Just off Interstate 29, 100 miles north of Omaha, is Sioux City, Iowa. For me, it’s only been a stopping point on the way to Valentine, Neb., where we can stretch our legs, and fill up on hot dogs at Milwaukee Wiener House or pick up road trip goodies at Palmer Candy Co.

Perhaps for others, it’s seen as a good stopping point on the way to Sioux Falls, S.D.

But what about staying a while? I started to wonder what more I could do there than eat. After scoping the city’s offering, I decided it makes a nice destination for a quick kid-free getaway (though the mom in me made note of what’s there in case we return with the kids… there’s some good stuff!). I only have 24 hours to spend there, so this list below of my Sioux City must-see stuff is not bound by that timeframe or money.

My Sioux City Bucket List

Check Out Fourth Street District – This is historic part of the city with brewpubs, breweries and restaurants, all things I love. One that stood out is Jackson Street Brewing.

Forth Street District in Sioux City is known for its restaurants and bars. Photo courtesy Visit Sioux City

Dine at Main + Abbey – My lists always seem to include a lot of eating, so why hold back now? When I looked into the hotel we’d be staying at – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City – I noticed they had a gastropub. Nice. It has a great beer list, poutine and locally sourced steaks. You can count on casinos in the Midwest having a restaurant that serves good steaks (it’s like a law or something).

Go to Saturday in the Park – This annual music festival sponsored by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been going strong for close to three decades and with powerhouse acts (Aretha Franklin and Foster the People were two acts from last year’s lineup). Did I mention this was FREE? I’d love to go without the kids just because an all-day music festival with kids sounds like I’d hear a lot more complaining from the kiddos them than the good music. However, they have a kids zone with live entertainment of their own, inflatables, carnival rides and a ton of other things to keep them occupied, so this sounds like a totally manageable festival with kiddos in tow.

The mega music festival, Concert in the Park, is an annual free event at Battery Park. Photo courtesy Visit Sioux City

Try a Tavern – In my research, I found out that there’s a famous loose meat sandwich called the tavern that originated at Ye Olde Tavern back in the ‘20s (a couple years later, Maid-Rite followed suit). This is not to be confused with a sloppy joe, apparently. Anyway, there’ are a couple places to find a tavern in town, including a bar called Miles Inn, Tastee Inn and Out (a place that’s been called “iconic” on Reddit), and Gus’ Family Restaurant. The Garden Cafe’s tavern made the cut to represent Iowa in Food Network Magazine’s list “50 States, 50 Sandwiches” in 2012.

Try a Burrito At La Juanita – This restaurant’s burritos are apparently so good, they rank in the top 5…according to Esquire Magazine readers a couple years ago. The readers poll released in February 2013 included the Iowa burrito – the only one in the midwest – as one of the 10 “most life-changing burrito in America.”

There are several things I’d like to take the kids to in Sioux City:

Launch Pad – This is the city’s brand new children’s museum – so new, it just opened this year.

Launch Pad, Sioux City’s children’s museum, just opened in early 2016. Photo courtesy Visit Sioux City

Sioux City Arts Center – This arts center consistently pops up on travelers’ posts about the city. First off, it’s FREE. But, there’s a room there that features all sorts of hands-on activities for children. My kids would love this. Plus, if you visit before May 8, 2016, you can see the temporary exhibition “The Art of the Brick®” featuring large-scale sculptures constructed out of LEGO bricks.

“Art of the Brick” is on display at Sioux City Art Center through May 8, 2016. Photo courtesy brickartist.com

The MIlwaukee Railroad Shops (AKA, the Railroad Museum) – Trains are always a hit with the kids, and this place sounds pretty interesting. If you time your trip right, you can go during a special event – such as Touch a Truck or Train Day, the Halloween event, or Santa’s Whistle Stop Tour at Christmas time.

Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center – I’m always on the lookout for a good hike or place to explore while on vacation, and this place sounds like I’ve found Sioux City’s best. The nature center has a lot of hands-on ways for kids to explore the Loess Hills’ natural history. It’s located in Stone State Park with hiking trails (note to self: Avoid the trail with the bat house; find the trail that has the Playscape Area).

Get out into nature at Stone State Park, and don’t forget to check out the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center while there. Photo courtesy Visit Sioux City

Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center & the Betty Strong Encounter Center – This looks like a good place to explore a little of our region’s history, and I hear it has hands-on exhibits, which is always good when visiting with kids.

Try a Twin Bing – And we return back to eating. It’s what I do best on vacation. Twin Bing was created in 1923 Sioux City at Palmer Candy Co. While I’ve been to this cool candy shop – you’ll be tempted to take a lot of pictures there – I haven’t tried a Twin Bing, which consists of cherry nougat covered in roasted peanuts and chocolate. I’ll give it a try, even though I hate fruity flavors added to my chocolate.

There are Twin Bings and other goodies in the basket at Palmer Candy Co. Photo courtesy Visit Sioux City

Your turn: What’s missing from this list? Share your favorite restaurants, bars, foods and things to do in Sioux City, Iowa? Never been? Then what on this list would you visit?

There’s no shortage of hotel options in Kansas City – I’ve tried many of them. Our last couple of overnight stays have been at the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center. We’ve stayed there for a Radiohead concert at the Sprint Center; and this time around, we stayed there because it was centrally located near several of the family-friendly attractions we planned on seeing.

Disclosure: Our stay in Kansas City was hosted by the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Bureau. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own.

Our most recent stay at the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center was in December – how’s that for holiday decorations?

And by centrally-located, I mean we could walk to them! How’s that for convenience? Park once and see it all.

What’s At The Sheraton Hotel

The top floor of the tower is the lounge for Starwood Preferred Guests. If you are one, you can enjoy complimentary continental breakfast with a view.

…which my kids ignored because, TV!

Seriously, kids, avert your eyes from the TV for one second.

There are a couple other dining options there, including a bar & grill kind of restaurant and a cafe.

The hotel is designed for large gatherings and meetings, so several floors are taken up by those spaces. It’s kinda awkward taking the elevator down from the tower with all the rooms, scrambling across the mezzanine to find the other elevator that will take you to the pool area. Pack a good swimsuit cover, is all I have to say about that.

Speaking of the pool. You guys. It’s a heated roof-top pool.

Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center’s rooftop pool. It was an unusually warm December weekend for us – no snow!

So you could be swimming in the middle of a snow storm, if things timed out right. Or a rain shower, as was the case for us.

In case you’re wondering, it’s not that heated (by my wimpy standards). While my crazy family swam in the December rain, I was in the hot tub, thank you very much.

The short tunnel amused the kids too.

OK, I’ll admit, the tunnel was fun for me to swim through too.

You can order food to be delivered to the pool area, which sounds like a good idea if it’s summer and you’re in the mood to lounge around all afternoon.

The rooms are pretty comfy – we had two double beds. We lucked out with a partial view of Crown Center and the Ice Terrace skating rink. It’s a charming scene at nighttime.

Attractions Near The Sheraton

Sheraton is connected to being connected to Crown Center and Union Station attractions by the climate-controlled Link system.

Sheraton Crown Center is an easy walk from Crown Center attractions thanks to the Link system over the streets.

Use it! Parking can get pricey, so if you just pay for your hotel parking ($17-$24/day), you can go to attractions like SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium, LEGO Discovery Land and Science City.

Here’s a roundup of what’s walkable from the Sheraton – walking with two kids under 7, with a pit stop for lunch at Crown Center.

Restaurants

One of the best breakfasts I had in KC was at the Blue Bird Bistro, a little more than a mile from the hotel. Another good and quirky choice for breakfast is You Say Tomato, also a little more than a mile from the Sheraton.

You’ll find a handful of restaurants at Crown Center, which is a mix of chains like Panera and unique kid-friendly spots like Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant and, on the other end of the spectrum, the upscale The American. I know people who swear by Fritz’s – it’s where the model train delivers your food to the table. Personally, the food was not worth the wait to me, but yes, the kids loved it.

Union Station has a couple restaurant choices, including Harvey’s at Union Station (I hear brunch is good there). Jack Stack BBQ has a location that’s near Union Station and I’d recommend it.

If you head to Crossroads Arts District, you’ll find some unique places to eat including Lidia’s KC (if you’re a big PBS fan, you know who she is). The Sundry and Cafe Gratitude were recommended to me, but I don’t know if any of those are kid-friendly. When it was just me and Mr. Wonderful in Kansas City, Crossroads was a fun place to visit, and if we get another couples-only vacation to KC, we’ll go back there.

Kansas City has all the makings for a family vacation: Kid-friendly attractions, great restaurants and convenient hotels.

On a recent trip with our kids, ages 4 and 6, we discovered some new favorites that we will certainly revisit the next time we’re in the area. Our winter trip was jointly hosted by Visit KC and Visit Overland Park.

The trip was so memorable, my 4-year-old daughter has taken to say “I love you to Kansas City and back,” in place of the silly old moon.

Here are some of the highlights you’ll want to check out the next time you’re in KC with kids (any time of the year!).

So fun they don’t realize they’re learning

The Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kan.

One of the first stops on our trip was the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kan. There’s a fun interactive screen in the lobby that you’ll be attempted to play with – you can create a dinosaur or dragon and then see it on the screen. Try to bypass it to explore later on because you’ll want to head straight to the Discovery Room upstairs (after paying admission, of course).

The first area at the Museum at Prairiefire my kids headed for was the paleontology section.

We could spent a few hours in this room! Divided into different areas of science, kids learn through play and hands-on exhibits. Website

The other place my kids loved so much they made us promise we’ll return the next time we go to KC was Science City at Union Station.

Science City is a science center located inside Union Station in downtown Kansas City.

There are so many interesting and fun areas to play in, you’ll spend a lot of time trying to keep up with your kids. Best naps ever after visiting Science City! Website

Free for all

When you go to KC with kids, keep in mind that there are so many kid-friendly places with FREE activities, and apparently so do the masses. They’re crowded, so there’s the drawback. But the fun usually trumps any crowd factor, in my opinion.

On our trip, we stopped by City Market – which has a year-round farmers market (heated and indoors in the winter). We went specifically for the Whoville experience at Christmas time, but you can extend your stay to visit the FREE Steamboat Arabia museum and shops. Website

We stopped by Crown Center District twice during our weekend trip, since our hotel was so near it. I love the outdoor area there, especially at Christmas time.

Playing at night in front of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Crown Center.

It’s lit up spectacularly, and the kids enjoyed climbing on all the wooden structures set up around the Christmas tree (they’re not there year-round). We meant to visit Kaleidoscope, Hallmark’s FREE art-making area at Crown Center, and the gingerbread house display but nap time prevailed.

The Ice Terrace at Crown Center is open throughout the winter in Kansas City.

Not free, but also nudged out by nap time and unseasonably warm weather was the Ice Terrace, an outdoor ice skating rink. Website

The Downtown Dazzle trolley drove families to different attractions in Kansas City.

A new Christmas-time-only thing going on in Kansas City is Downtown Dazzle, held on weekends in December. You can ride a FREE, decked out trolley to several downtown attractions like Crown Center and Power & Light District. Some stops have cute things set up like huge snow globes you can get in for a great photo opp. The kids loved the trolley for like first leg of the ride, but then we got stuck in basketball traffic and things went downhill from there. Still, my daughter said it was one of her favorite things about KC. Website

Overland Park held its own in this category. We watched Holiday Lights on Farmstead Lane at the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, and it was one of Mooch’s favorite things over all (OK, she has a lot of favorites, she’s 4). I’d like to return in warmer weather to explore the farmstead in daylight. Website

Did someone say shopping?

I did not shop nearly as much as I intended to – this was going to be prime Christmas present shopping time. But my kids don’t think shopping is fun, so there you go.

LEGOs, LEGOs, as far as the eye can see.

One of the places we visited that I found myself gazing longingly into storefront windows include Oak Park Mall in Overland Park (if you’re shopping for kids – definitely check out the LEGO Store, American Girls store and the Disney Store there). Website

There’s a carousel in the middle of the mall where you can park your kids for a little bit.

The two-story carousel at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kan.

For the younger set, there’s a play area.

Of course, almost everyone in Omaha seems programmed to head straight to the Country Club Plaza to shop. That’s for good reason, you can find all sorts of high end stores there, as well as popular chains like Gap, Apple and White House/Black Market. Website

Want to buy some unique gifts? I think the City Market and surrounding streets is a good spot. You can buy food and spices from around the world, or on the weekends, head to the farmers market to buy locally-made goods from crafts and home décor to soaps.

While Mr. Wonderful walked around – buying some local wine and flowers at the market – I waited in line with the kids so they could ride the mini train. For $2, I captured the biggest smiles of the trip because of that little ride! Website

This smile says “I got a free sucker on this train, Mom…Ha!” The kids could ride this mini train at the City Market.

Good sleeps

If you’re planning most of your trip to be in downtown Kansas City, the hotels around Crown Center are smart choices, particularly in the winter. They’re connected to major attractions by the Link, a series of enclosed, elevated walkways.

Sheraton Crown Center is an easy walk from Crown Center attractions thanks to the Link system over the streets.

We stayed at Sheraton at Crown Center and enjoyed using the tunnels to get to Crown Center, and further afield, Union Station. It totally beat driving and parking, or walking (it rained one of the days we were there).

Another highlight of the Sheraton was its rooftop pool, which is heated and open year-round. The little tunnel was a kid favorite.

Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center’s rooftop pool.

And if you’re a Starwood Preferred Guest, you have to check out the Club Lounge at the top floor of the hotel. Go for the view and/or the breakfast buffet. It’s heartier than they suggest when they called it a “continental breakfast.” Website

South of downtown Kansas City is Overland Park, a more suburban area. The DoubleTree Hotel is located a short distance from the interstate, and nicely located between some of our favorite parts of town – the Museum at Prairiefire, Oak Park Mall and Deanna Rose Farmstead. The highlight for my kids was the pool. As usual.

The DoubleTree pool, AKA, the best part of the hotel according to my kids. Not pictured are the little whirlpool and sauna.

We had two connecting rooms there and it opened my eyes to a whole other way of travel with kids (king-size bed in one room, two doubles in the other). Mr. Wonderful and I agreed this was the way to go from here on out.

Service at both hotels was top notch and super friendly, especially at the DoubleTree where I left with a smile because so many people made us feel so welcomed.

If you are a Hilton Honors member, you probably will get breakfast included with your stay. The buffet was great, but what made it stand out was the chef cooking the made-to-order eggs. He knew how to make an omelet just right (not too dry). Website

Good eats

I had grand plans for dining in Kansas City – lots of barbecue, maybe a gastropub, a stop at popular breakfast joint. There are so many great places to eat and Instagramming to be done.

But travel with kids doesn’t always go as planned. Mornings were spent in the pool followed by the hotel’s breakfast instead of my quaint breakfast joint, but that’s just how it goes. Not to bash hotel breakfasts, I’m just a weirdo who seeks out the top breakfast restaurant in most cities.

The most memorable meal for the whole family was barbecue, naturally. We met up with family at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Leawood (not the original in a gas station, but it was closest to our hotel in Overland Park). It was smack-the-table good, especially the Z-Man Sandwich. Website

We dined a few times at Crown Center, given its proximity to the Sheraton and some of the activities we had planned. I wish I could say they were great picks, but I was disappointed with the service at both restaurants and the dessert place.

If you’re an adventurous eater, try the Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile Cafe at the City Market in Kansas City. You’ll love the flavors.

One of my favorite meals, but certainly not for my kids, was the Ethiopian restaurant at City Market, Blue Nile Cafe. I nabbed a great Groupon for a meal for four and my kids absolutely refused to admit they liked any of it. Typical. Website

Want to read more stories about Kansas City with a family-friendly focus? Check these out:

Hi there, I’m Kim

I'm a mom, wife, writer & coffee addict. I love my hometown, Omaha, but cannot resist the thrill of travel. Life is best spent discovering the extraordinary at home and on the road. With any luck, I'll inspire you to think the same. Inquiries at ohmyomaha@gmail.com

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